1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor light emitting element in which an electrode is placed between a semiconductor laminate and a substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Proposals have been made to improve the luminous efficiency of a semiconductor light emitting element such as LED by dividing the semiconductor layer into a plurality of pieces (see U.S. Pat. No. 7,786,498). For example, in the semiconductor light emitting element proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,786,498, a semiconductor laminate is divided in a plurality of pieces to reduce the area of an electrode on each divided piece of the semiconductor laminate, so as to reduce the light absorption by the electrodes as low as possible. Furthermore, in the semiconductor light emitting element, since the area of each divided semiconductor laminate is reduced, the electric current can be diffused more uniformly compared to one with an undivided single semiconductor laminate, which results in enhanced luminous efficiency.
However, since the semiconductor light emitting element proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,786,498 has a current path in the order of a conductive substrate, a second electrode, the semiconductor laminate and a first electrode (a contact hole, a wiring pattern and a bonding part), the electric current is concentrated in an area around the bonding part of the first electrode embedded in the semiconductor laminate (in this case, the center area of the semiconductor laminate). That is, the current diffusion in the semiconductor laminate is actually uneven, and the light emitting element therefore has a problem of decrease in luminous efficiency.